There’re two kinds of people; those who prepare for rainy days and those who simply refuse to. The latter are the ones who continue to borrow your umbrella long into the rainy season and you don’t want to ask them to buy their own because you don’t want to come off as mean, but at the same time, you’d really want them to get their own.

Umbrellas are a necessity and you can’t count on borrowing someone else’s every time. I wouldn’t mind sharing mine if the borrower/s returned it in good condition, but more often than not, they own it, which is why I feel like we need to set some ground rules. Like not returning the umbrella all wet like you can’t shake it off first!

People can be annoying. Where do you even expect me to place it when it’s all dripping? It only takes a few minutes for it to dry off in a well aerated room. Also, don’t return it dirty. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to wipe away mud, grease or some sticky stuff. And some people act like umbrellas have sensors or something. Don’t jam them through doors or the spikes and hooks will be damaged or fall off and I’ll be forced to buy a new one. Most importantly, remember to return it because the owner is going to need it. That’s why they bought it!

Don’t wait for me to ask you to return it because some people borrow and then also lend to someone else like they own it and before you know it, it’s lost and you know how umbrellas look the same, so it’s going to be next to impossible to recover it. As for those who offer to hold but end up squeezing us out of our own umbrellas just so they don’t get wet, stop it. Of course if I were caught in a heavy downpour without an umbrella and there was someone with one, I’d hope the owner would be kind enough to let me shelter under it.